On Sunday September 28, 2025, the village of Valensole will host the 4th edition of the Pistachio, Almond and Olive Day, an unmissable event celebrating the agricultural and culinary treasures of the Valensolais plateau. Organized by the Association Mémoire Vivante de Valensole et de son Plateau (Living Memory of Valensole and its Plateau), chaired by Maurice Chaspoul, this festive, educational and gourmet event showcases three of the region’s emblematic crops, while supporting their long-term revival.

An event that takes root

Created in 2022, this event took up a real challenge: to promote pistachios, almonds and olives through a festival that was both friendly and forward-looking. Four editions later, the challenge has been met. This annual event has established itself as a highlight of the region’s agricultural heritage, uniting producers, processors, craftsmen, enthusiasts and lovers of taste around shared values: quality, terroir and transmission.
This dynamic is supported by Olivier Baussan, patron of the event, President of the Association Pistache en Provence and the Groupe Territoire de Provence, who has been instrumental in the reintroduction of pistachio trees in the region and the opening of the first Maison de la Pistache in Valensole, official partner of the event.

Focus on almonds, the fruit of honor in 2025

Each year, one of the three fruits is given pride of place. For this 4th edition, the almond takes center stage, with a special focus on its history, cultivation and many gastronomic uses. An emblematic fruit of the Valensole plateau, it is now enjoying a renaissance thanks to a structured and committed local industry.
Several highlights are dedicated to him:
* a visit to the new French-made almond crusher at the home of Jean-Pierre Jaubert, a farmer on the Valensole plateau
* presentation of a traditional 19th-century cassoir by the Association Mémoire Vivante de Valensole et de son Plateau.
* a culinary workshop led by Chef Frédéric Payan, a member of the Disciples d’Escoffier
* a conference entitled “L’Amande, du terroir aux papilles” (Almonds, from terroir to taste buds), to gain a better understanding of agricultural issues, featuring committed personalities: Laure Pierrisnard (General Manager of Confiserie du Roy René), André Pinatel (President of France Pistache, Vice-President of the Syndicat des Amandiculteurs de Provence), Frédéric Payan (Chef), and Jacques Bec (writer).
A rich program, combining tradition and innovation
Throughout the day, the public is invited to discover a farmers’ market, manufacturing workshops, culinary demonstrations, a conference and a film screening. The festival is designed as an educational and sensory experience, including:
– tastings of regional products – direct sales by local producers – cooking demonstrations of traditional recipes to (re)discover: aïoli, pistou soup, tapenade, calissons, nougats…

Pistachios, the new fruit of the future for Valensole

Alongside almonds and olives, pistachios are making a remarkable entry into the local agricultural landscape. Its culture is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to an ambitious collective project spearheaded by Georgia Lambertin, Jean-Louis Joseph, André Pinatel, Olivier Baussan and Alexis Bertucat. With the creation of the La Maison de la Pistache brand by Olivier Baussan, which saw the light of day in 2024 in Valensole, the region is asserting its determination to become a land of reference for this fruit of the future.